Many types of exercise suits have been developed with which resistant members are utilized to provide resistance against the movement of the wearer. The extra resistance provides a more intense workout.
Another use of an exercise suit with resistant members is in a zero gravity environment such as that in space. The zero gravity environment of space can contribute to the loss of muscle tone because of the lack of resistance created by gravitational forces. With the time astronauts spend in space extending to longer periods, the loss of muscle tone becomes a bigger concern. One solution is for the astronauts to wear a resistant exercise suit which provides a resistance corresponding to the gravitational weight of various body segments.
Typical of the art of exercise suits which utilize resistant members are those suits disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,065,814 E. N. Fox January 3, 1978 4,910,802 E. A. Malloy March 27, 1990 5,109,546 T. P. Dicker May 5, 1992 5,176,600 W. T. Wilkinson January 5, 1993 5,201,074 T. P. Dicker April 13, 1993 5,306,222 W. T. Wilkinson April 26, 1994 5,357,637 D. F. Moore October 25, 1994 ______________________________________
The '814, '802, '546, and the '074 patents include the use of elastic bands secured directly to the exercise clothing to provide resistance during exercise. The elastic bands are anchored around the body, wrists and feet. With the elastic bands anchored around the body in such a manner, the clothing to which the elastic bands are secured can become uncomfortable to wear as one exercises. The clothing can pull down or pull up and the wearer must continually pull and tug at the clothing to adjust it.
The '600, '222, and '637 patents teach exercise garments where elastic bands are utilized to connect one body portion to another. For example, in the '600 patent elastic webs are utilized wherein one end is secured to the side of the body of the garment and the other end is secured to underside of the arm. Also, an elastic web is secured to the inner thighs of the garment. In the '222 patent, one end of an elastic band is anchored to an ankle and the other end is anchored to the wrist with the elastic band extending therebetween. The bands or webs are carried exterior from the exercise garment. If a person is trying to move around the devices can easily become entangled or snag on surrounding objects.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a resistance exercise suit into which resilient ribs are incorporated.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a resistance exercise suit wherein the resilient ribs are preformed such that the exercise suit is comfortable to wear.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a resistance exercise suit wherein the resistance and configuration of the resilient ribs can be customized to any individual.